Goldwin Monteverde cut a somber figure following University of the Phillipines’ stunning 67-47 loss to National University, acknowledging the hard lessons and painful missteps that may haunt them as the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament nears its end.
The Fighting Maroons struggled to find their rhythm all game, with only Aldous Torculas scoring in double figures, putting up 13 points, while JD Cagulangan could only manage eight points on 3-of-13 shooting.
To make matters worse, UP committed a staggering 30 turnovers, which NU converted into 23 points, with Cagulangan losing possession nine times.
At no point did UP hold the lead, and Coach Monteverde reflected on his team’s struggles, recognizing that there were many missed opportunities to execute plays more effectively.
“Well, sa mga ganung situations, I think if we could execute better,” he said. “I’m not going to take anything away from NU—they played, you know, good defense against us tonight. Syempre, being the opposing team, pag dinedepensa ka nang maayos, dapat it should call for a better execution on our part.
“We had some open shots naman but then we were not making them. Minsan siguro nangyayari din yun, but ayaw namin mag-rely syempre sa ganun. Again, i-wo-work nalang namin before the next game ang kailangan namin i-work.”
UP fans on social media have joked about calling the team the ‘Cramming Maroons’ for their habit of starting slow but finishing strong.
However, with NU surging to a 24-8 lead by the end of the first quarter, UP found itself facing an insurmountable deficit that proved too much to overcome.
The Fighting Maroons’ title aspirations will hinge on finding a way to avoid these slow starts that continue to plague them.
Monteverde was candid about the urgent need for change, acknowledging that time is running out.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Actually, kahit sa unang game pa lang, pangalawa, gusto na namin tanggalin yung slow start na yan,” Monteverde admitted. “We need to know sa mga ganitong situations, to think of ways pa na para maiwasan natin yun. Importante lang eh no is yung when we approach every game, alam namin na prepared kami and alam namin having that mindset na to be able to execute on both ends.
“Sa basketball naman, lagi ko naman sinasabi na di siya perfect game talaga. Aside from that, these are human beings also, mga player ko. So yeah, may mga araw na ganun, which I think this game would teach somebody character-wise kung papano to keep up or endure whatever comes your way. This loss could be big for us also as human beings, in terms of how we improve on things, both sa game and, at the same time, character-wise.”
With a week left to regroup, UP will turn its focus to a critical match this Sunday against defending champion De La Salle University.
In their first-round encounter, the Green Archers relied on a hot start and capitalized on UP’s sluggishness to secure a 68-56 win.
Now, after another sobering loss, UP may have found the wake-up call it needs to avoid repeating history.
Determined to put their best foot forward, the Fighting Maroons know a fast start against the Green Archers will be essential.
“I think same mindset for every game, whether it’s La Salle, NU, or Adamson,” Monteverde said.
“As I said kanina, everyday naman sa amin, every game would be a championship game for us. You know, we demand to give the best that we could every game.”
